“I’ve already checked out the address,” the Eastlawn Elementary School kindergarten teacher said.

The UPS Store, like UPS Store franchises all over the Triad, has agreed to provide each public-school teacher up to 100 free copies every month for the 2014-15 school year in an agreement with local legislators.

Teachers can make free copies Tuesdays and Saturdays if they show identification, according to a press release from state Reps. Steve Ross and Dennis Riddell, both Alamance County Republicans.

Hall said she copies homework packets, reading logs, behavior charts to send home to parents, and lots of other things. She would do more if she could — like having students track weather in a log. Another project she likes is having students observe a puddle over days, drawing it to see how it shrinks as it evaporates.

It is something she says introduces new ideas, like evaporation, new skills, and is eye opening to a 5-year-old. But she says she cannot always afford to distribute the packets.

“We are limited in the number of copies just with the expense,” Hall said.

Eastlawn’s copy budget is $15,700, said Dan McInnis, Eastlawn’s principal. Teachers at Eastlawn use about 1,000 copies per month each. If they all take advantage of this offer, he estimates it could save the school about 42,000 copies a year, adding up to around $1,000.

McInnis figures that is enough to buy three iPads or a classroom reading library. It would also reduce the wear and tear on school equipment, Hall said, or on her own printer at home and the amount she spends out of her own pocket to get copies made.

“The free copies are a great opportunity for our school to use that money for more instructional material,” Hall said.

This began with Rep. Edward Hanes Jr., D-Forsyth, who got it started last year in Forsyth County with UPS Store owner Amy-Ruth Hallet. This year it has expanded to Alamance, Davidson and Guilford. Riddell, a former teacher, and Ross, whose wife is a former teacher assistant, wanted to make sure their districts were part of it.

“We are very happy to be part of a program that helps give teachers the resources to help promote what they do best, which is teach,” said Reza Mowlanejad, owner of The UPS Store at 2966 S. Church St. and several others in the area. “This is a small token of gratitude that we as business owners of the UPS Store can give back to the community to show our appreciation to teachers for all they do.”

Hall said she did not intend to use her free copies for routine things, but for those special projects.

Page 2 of 2 - “I think everybody will be very mindful to use those free copies for the things they really want for their class,” Hall said.